I was Born a Hindu but studied in a Catholic School in Madras at Santhome. St Bedes High School. The School was the best at academics and also toppers when it came to Cricket.
Notable alumni (besides myself :-)) who excelled at Cricket were Dinesh Karthik, Krishnamachari Srikkanth, Ravichandran Ashwin, Abhinav Mukund, Baba Aparajith, Yo Mahesh, and brothers A. G. Kripal Singh, A.G. Milkha Singh, Satwender Singh who were all test caps.
Satwender was two years senior to me, Milkha was in the test team when I was in High school, and Kripal also an ex Test Cricketer was my Coach at St Bedes who insisted I bowl leg spin.
As you can see a Catholic school where Hindus excelled as we students got the best of two worlds meaning two religions.
The only Hindu Prayers we learnt at home were Raghupathi Raghava Raja Ram and Suddha Brahma Paratmara Ram. We recited the at second every saturday Puja but I must confess that I did not know what ease line meant but in general knew it was Ramayana.
Then we also learnt two main Christian Prayers at School. Our Father and Hail mary. Both easily understood and simple to learn and sing.
Even as a school kid the Ten Commandments appealed a lot to me.
Ten Commandments List
We were told "The Ten Commandments were written by God upon two tablets of stone and then given to Moses on Mount Sinai".
Most scholars date this event around the 13th or 14th century BC. God gave the Decalogue, or 10 Commandments, to the Israelites shortly after they left Egypt.
The only Hindu Prayers we learnt at home were Raghupathi Raghava Raja Ram and Suddha Brahma Paratmara Ram. We recited the at second every saturday Puja but I must confess that I did not know what ease line meant but in general knew it was Ramayana.
Then we also learnt two main Christian Prayers at School. Our Father and Hail mary. Both easily understood and simple to learn and sing.
Even as a school kid the Ten Commandments appealed a lot to me.
Ten Commandments List
We were told "The Ten Commandments were written by God upon two tablets of stone and then given to Moses on Mount Sinai".
Most scholars date this event around the 13th or 14th century BC. God gave the Decalogue, or 10 Commandments, to the Israelites shortly after they left Egypt.
The record of the Ten Commandments can be found in the Bible, both in Exodus 20:2-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21.
Ten Commandments list
1 - You shall have no other gods before Me.
2 - You shall make no idols.
3 - You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
4 - Keep the Sabbath day holy.
5 - Honor your father and your mother.
6 - You shall not murder.
7 - You shall not commit adultery.
8 - You shall not steal.
9 - You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10 - You shall not covet.
The first four commandments were for Christians. Commandments 5 to 10 are basic tenets of all Religions which I understood and accepted.
But that is where my Tryst with Christianity ended.
What I did not like about Christianity was
1- that the Church was a huge establishment with wealth and power to control the Christians world wide.
2 - Christianity says there is Only One God Jesus yet power struggles resulted in Christians breaking up into a zillion orders. Like Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox Catholics. No different to Shivites and Vishnavites in Hinduism and Shias and Sunnis in Islam. United they could have all stood tall but divided all religions fell flat in my opinion.
I don't really kow how many hundreds of branches branches Christianity divided into.
Jesuits, Penetcost, Mormons, Pentecost, Adventists, Church of England.. Syrian Chriastian and the list goes on and on...
If Jesus is the Only God why then are there so many divisions within the Church ? Basically it is about Power and Money. Something that did not appeal to me.
Also I have attended many sermons in searches and do not like these Pastors Brain washing people. They do not stop with Jesus Talk they meddle with Global and Local Politics too.
No Sir I don't want any one between me and my God. That is why I like Hinduism.
The other aspect of Christianity I did not like is the concept of Confessions and Forgiveness.
Even at school the Christian Boys used to be up to all sorts of mischiefs that were punishable but they would confess to some priest inside a cubicle and felt they were freed from all their sins. Total Bunkum IMHO. Not only that the Priests who took the confessions used the information to sexually abuse the confessors and many rapes were reported but most covered up by the Church.
Worse still was the fact that pedohiles became Priests and abused school children. Thinking back I now realise many orphan angloIndian schools mates were victims of sex abuse . The Church was too strong and powerful to take on until recent times when many victims in Australia have taken the pastors and the Church to Supreme courts
The other aspect of Christianity I do not like is Christians ae made to be lieve that if they convert a non believer to Christianity they will go to heaven, no different from Islam where 75 virgins are promised if they kill one infidel.
Christians are like vultures waiting for non christians to get into strife either financially or due to death in the family of health issues. Christians will be extremely kind and bring you gifst and comfort you and sit and pray for you and slowly but steadily keep telling you that Jesus Loves you and he is the Only God and will lok after you if you believe in HIM etc. Sort of Emotionally Blackmailing the vulnerable, I am aware of two Iyengar Families who lost their fathers and the christians smothered them with love and affections until they converted to christianity.
One family in Sydney, Mother remained a HIndu but the Children Meera, Gautam and Parvathi became Christians of the worst kind. If we saw them coming home we would escape through the back door sort of aggressive Christians. I remember Gautam once said to me Ram you are an extremely nice person yet I feel sorry for you. I asked why ? and he said You don't believe in jesus so you cannot go to heaven. My response was . "Thank God for that " and he was puzzled and asked why I said that. I told him Gautam imagine being stuck in heaven with you for eternity. No Thank You. I prefer my Hindu Motcham or Nirvana what ever ..
I was too strong and pig headed to be converted to Christianity. No way.
Even last Christmas we had an annual street party at home. A Christian neighbour heard I had multipe health problems and she asked me how I was and I said Ready to kick the bucket. Do you know where you are going she asked because I know where I am going. I am going to be with Jesus. I told her Good on you have a safe journey..and walked away as I did not want her to bore me to death.
Please watch the following video.. This lady has similar thoughts to mine. I . will not be converted by anyone nor will I listen to some pastor trying to brainwash me. Thank You very much
What I did not like about Christianity was
1- that the Church was a huge establishment with wealth and power to control the Christians world wide.
2 - Christianity says there is Only One God Jesus yet power struggles resulted in Christians breaking up into a zillion orders. Like Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox Catholics. No different to Shivites and Vishnavites in Hinduism and Shias and Sunnis in Islam. United they could have all stood tall but divided all religions fell flat in my opinion.
I don't really kow how many hundreds of branches branches Christianity divided into.
Jesuits, Penetcost, Mormons, Pentecost, Adventists, Church of England.. Syrian Chriastian and the list goes on and on...
If Jesus is the Only God why then are there so many divisions within the Church ? Basically it is about Power and Money. Something that did not appeal to me.
Also I have attended many sermons in searches and do not like these Pastors Brain washing people. They do not stop with Jesus Talk they meddle with Global and Local Politics too.
No Sir I don't want any one between me and my God. That is why I like Hinduism.
The other aspect of Christianity I did not like is the concept of Confessions and Forgiveness.
Even at school the Christian Boys used to be up to all sorts of mischiefs that were punishable but they would confess to some priest inside a cubicle and felt they were freed from all their sins. Total Bunkum IMHO. Not only that the Priests who took the confessions used the information to sexually abuse the confessors and many rapes were reported but most covered up by the Church.
Worse still was the fact that pedohiles became Priests and abused school children. Thinking back I now realise many orphan angloIndian schools mates were victims of sex abuse . The Church was too strong and powerful to take on until recent times when many victims in Australia have taken the pastors and the Church to Supreme courts
The other aspect of Christianity I do not like is Christians ae made to be lieve that if they convert a non believer to Christianity they will go to heaven, no different from Islam where 75 virgins are promised if they kill one infidel.
Christians are like vultures waiting for non christians to get into strife either financially or due to death in the family of health issues. Christians will be extremely kind and bring you gifst and comfort you and sit and pray for you and slowly but steadily keep telling you that Jesus Loves you and he is the Only God and will lok after you if you believe in HIM etc. Sort of Emotionally Blackmailing the vulnerable, I am aware of two Iyengar Families who lost their fathers and the christians smothered them with love and affections until they converted to christianity.
One family in Sydney, Mother remained a HIndu but the Children Meera, Gautam and Parvathi became Christians of the worst kind. If we saw them coming home we would escape through the back door sort of aggressive Christians. I remember Gautam once said to me Ram you are an extremely nice person yet I feel sorry for you. I asked why ? and he said You don't believe in jesus so you cannot go to heaven. My response was . "Thank God for that " and he was puzzled and asked why I said that. I told him Gautam imagine being stuck in heaven with you for eternity. No Thank You. I prefer my Hindu Motcham or Nirvana what ever ..
I was too strong and pig headed to be converted to Christianity. No way.
Even last Christmas we had an annual street party at home. A Christian neighbour heard I had multipe health problems and she asked me how I was and I said Ready to kick the bucket. Do you know where you are going she asked because I know where I am going. I am going to be with Jesus. I told her Good on you have a safe journey..and walked away as I did not want her to bore me to death.
Please watch the following video.. This lady has similar thoughts to mine. I . will not be converted by anyone nor will I listen to some pastor trying to brainwash me. Thank You very much
